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Last summer Blue Earth Sun Protection sunscreen badly failed our sunscreen test. It claimed to provide SPF 30 protection and to be waterproof. But after just 40 minutes in water it offered only low protection: its SPF was less than 10.

It’s an offence under the Fair Trading Act to make false or misleading claims. We laid a complaint with the Commerce Commission, based on our test results and the fact that Blue Earth couldn’t provide acceptable test evidence to support its claims. The sunscreen hadn’t been tested on human volunteers as required by the joint Australia/New Zealand sunscreen standard (AS/NZS 2604).

In August the Commerce Commission reached a decision: the term “waterproof” and the SPF30 claim were likely to mislead consumers. Blue Earth has now suspended production of the sunscreen and has advised the commission that if it does produce another sunscreen that product will comply with the sunscreen standard.

In the meantime, the sunscreen has sold out. If you still have a tube in your medicine cabinet, throw it out.

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